Wireless devices are designed to connect to a core network, either directly through a base station or through another wireless device. Many networks are controlled by provider systems that require activation and registration of a device on the network before the device is allowed full network access.
Currently, systems that allow the over-the-air (OTA) activation of unregistered devices designate special phone numbers to allow users wishing to activate devices to call a wireless customer care center over the network for purposes of activation. A call center activation. A call center employee then activates the device by sending provisioning parameters over the network to activate the wireless device. Alternatively, programming of the device is accomplished when a user calls an IVR system that asks the user to enter subscription information. The device is programmed to allow for services as indicated by the user. The interaction between the network and the device is by means of a series of inputs provided by the user. Both methods are costly and time consuming as the process of activation is sequential and sooner or later requires human intervention at the customer-care center.
Systems that allow the over-the-air (OTA) activation of unregistered devices use specially designated numbers to allow unregistered devices to contact the network and register through an automated system, or to allow a user contact a wireless customer care center for purposes of activation. The system then activates the device by sending provisioning parameters over the network to activate the wireless device. Alternatively, programming provisioning parameters into the device is done by calling IVR systems that asks the user to enter the subscriber information. Based on the input, the device is further programmed to allow for services signed up by the user. The interaction between the network and the device is by means of a series of inputs provided by the user. This is a costly and time consuming process as the process of activation is sequential and requires human intervention at the customer-care center.
Further, requiring subscribers to enter information through the wireless device is often error prone resulting in costly customer care calls to rectify the previously provisioned information.
To avoid, interactive user input, some systems allow the user to enter the subscription information through web interface that provides the user with a form. The web-based form has the required fields that need to be filled in by the user. However, this technique requires the user to have web access as well as the ability to read the credentials that are associated with the device and enter all this information.
Thus, there is need to support self-care as opposed to the prior art of customer-care operations for provisioning and activating wireless devices in a network. Subscriber self-activation method is a means to support self-care by which a device is allowed to access the network for the purpose of obtaining permanent credentials by establishing a session with a management server. The management server then programs the device with the appropriate parameters commensurate with the subscribed services.